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Trump, Ivanka, Don Jr. May Be Deposed By New York Attorney General; U.S. Sees Major Spike In Drug Overdose Deaths Among Adolescents; Olympian Wins Silver Medal 50 Years After His Mom Won Gold. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired February 18, 2022 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:30:43]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Legal woes for former President Donald Trump and his family -- they just got a little bit worse. A New York Supreme Court judge announced that Trump, Ivanka, and Don Jr. must all sit for depositions in the state attorney general's investigation into their business practices.
What does this all mean? Joining me now, Elie Honig, CNN senior legal analyst, and former federal prosecutor. What just happened, Elie?
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, John, it was a rough day for the Trumps in court.
Important to understand, first of all, we've got two different things happening here parallel to one another. There is a civil investigation being run by the New York state attorney general Letitia James. There also is a criminal investigation being run jointly by the D.A. Alvin Bragg and A.G. James.
Yesterday had to do with the civil part of this case. Now, the question there was a series of subpoenas that Letitia James had served on Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump Jr.
The Trumps objected. They said these are improper. Judge, you should, what we call, quash them, meaning block these subpoenas. We don't have to testify.
The judge disagreed. He said these are valid. You do have to testify.
So what happens now? The Trumps have already announced they will appeal.
Now, John, if they do have to testify -- I think it's very likely they will have to testify and it's very likely they will take the Fifth Amendment. That's what Eric Trump did 500 times.
BERMAN: Five hundred times --
HONIG: That's a lot of Fifth. BERMAN: -- which this judge cited, by the way --
HONIG: Yes.
BERMAN: -- saying Eric did it so why can't you?
HONIG: Exactly. And the Trumps argument was -- well, it's embarrassing. And the judge said who cares? They are entitled to take the Fifth but it looks really bad.
BERMAN: What have we learned about the focus of the attorney general's investigation?
HONIG: So we got some really important insights from this briefing about where the A.G. is looking. We know that they are looking at the over-evaluation, intentionally, or under-evaluation of assets.
Letitia James said in one of her briefs that she had evidence of "significant additional evidence indicating the Trump Organization used fraudulent or misleading asset valuations" -- asset valuations is key -- "to obtain a host of economic benefits." Insurance benefits, tax benefits, and other financial benefits.
But what's really interesting to me, the judge yesterday in his ruling -- right here, that word "copious" evidence of possible financial fraud. Copious means a lot of evidence. To hear that from a judge is a very interesting thing.
Also, we got this fascinating letter from Mazars, the longtime financial accountant for the Trump Org. Essentially, Mazars said we're dumping you because the information you gave us is so unreliable that the financial documents should no longer be relied upon. That's really unusual and may not be a good sign.
BERMAN: Look, the Trump situation -- family situation changed drastically this week. I just don't think there's any question about that.
What's their defense here?
HONIG: Yes. So, the main defense they made to try to block these subpoenas is that this is a politically motivated investigation from the brief. The attorney general, quote, "improperly and repeatedly threatened investigation and prosecution of former President Trump and his family as a campaign promise to garner votes, money, and support."
And John, there is truth to this. I mean, no question, Letitia James, dozens of times, campaigned and fundraised on vote for me and I will go after the Trumps. Now, the judge did say look, there's something to that. She was overly aggressive in some of the things she said. But the judge found that as a matter of law it's not enough to block these subpoenas or this investigation.
BERMAN: And where are we in the criminal case?
HONIG: So we haven't heard anything for seven months. The last thing we heard was in July. The only people who have been indicted -- the only person is Allen Weisselberg, the longtime CFO. The Trump Organization itself has been criminally indicted.
But that is the big question. We are getting a lot of indicators on the civil case. The criminal case has been all quiet.
BERMAN: Meanwhile, 21 days -- the clock is ticking on these depositions.
HONIG: Yes.
BERMAN: We'll see if the appeal is either heard -- there may be no stay even.
HONIG: Exactly.
BERMAN: They may have to testify within 21 days. It will be interesting.
HONIG: The clock is ticking -- yes.
BERMAN: All right, Elie. Thank you very much.
HONIG: Thanks, John.
BERMAN: Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: House minority leader Kevin McCarthy making the latest move against Republican Liz Cheney. He has endorsed her pro-Trump primary opponent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Wyoming deserves to have a representative who will deliver the accountability against this Biden administration; not a representative that they have today that works closer with Nancy Pelosi going after Republicans instead of stopping these radical Democrats for what they're doing to this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: CNN's Melanie Zanona is with us now with our new CNN reporting on this. We should also mention that Elise Stefanik, who replaced Liz Cheney when she was booted out of Republican leadership, has now also endorsed her opponent.
[07:35:02]
MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yes. This is one of those moments that is absolutely extraordinary and yet not surprising at all.
I mean, it's extraordinary because GOP leaders typically don't get involved in primaries, and Cheney and McCarthy used to be allies. They served on the same leadership team together. But it's also not that surprising because this has been a long, simmering feud between the two of them dating back all the way to January sixth.
And I think it's also important to understand the internal dynamics that McCarthy was facing. He was under immense pressure from this right flank to take some sort of action against Liz Cheney and he resisted calls to expel her from conference.
So instead, he is now opting to go after her and try to kick her out of Congress entirely -- and, of course, that is going to win points with Trump world. And that's a huge constituency and a future speaker's bid, but it's also a risk because if she comes back it's going to be a huge black eye for both McCarthy and for Trump.
KEILAR: It's really binary in this Republican conference. You can't be sort of like I'm not going to deal with Liz Cheney too much. I'm not going to condemn her; I'm not going to be for her. It's either yes or no. And really, it has to be no if you're hearing from these Republicans.
ZANONA: Yes.
KEILAR: How is she responding?
ZANONA: Well, it's safe to say there's no love lost between these two. A spokesman for Liz Cheney weighed in and said, of Harriet Hageman, wow, she must be so desperate.
And then we have Adam Kinzinger who also voted to impeach. He weighed in as well. Let me read you part of his statement.
He said, "Kevin McCarthy, at one point, fancied himself the new generation conservative. Now we see he is a man with no moral core. Sad to see, honestly, Not the man I thought I knew. Sleep probably doesn't come easy to him."
But on the other hand, you're seeing Freedom Caucus members who are cheering this move. I suspect we will see other lawmakers get involved in this race. But as you were alluding to, really now, all these members in the conference are going to be forced to pick sides that you have GOP leadership officially getting involved in this race.
KEILAR: What's her pathway to a victory if she loses the primary?
ZANONA: If she loses the primary I think she probably runs for president in 2024 against Trump.
KEILAR: Hmm, all right, interesting.
Melanie Zanona, great reporting. Thank you so much.
Coming up, a new CNN report shows how the opioid crisis has found its middle -- its way into middle schools.
BERMAN: And Cooper Kupp may have won the Super Bowl MVP but if you ask his teammate Van Jefferson, his MVP from Sunday wasn't even on the field. He will join us live to tell us all about one of the best stories to come from the big game. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:41:37]
BERMAN: The U.S. is seeing a devastating spike in drug overdose deaths among children. Middle-schoolers are dying, unknowingly buying counterfeit pills, often through social media, that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid up to 100 times more potent than heroin.
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with more -- Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: John, this is so tragic. These middle-schoolers -- these children think they're buying Adderall or Percocet or oxycontin. Instead, what they're getting is fentanyl, which is so poisonous, so toxic that one pill can kill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMY NEVILLE, ALEXANDER'S MOTHER: That's one of the last pictures of him. That's actually the shirt he died in.
COHEN (voice-over): In June of 2020, Amy Neville found her son Alexander dead in his bedroom.
AMY NEVILLE: I went in his room and he was blue. He was laying on his bean bag chair just like he'd gone to bed. You know, like he'd just fallen asleep there.
COHEN (voice-over): Alexander was 14 years old -- just a child.
COHEN (on camera): Legos and Boy Scouts and a teddy bear, and he died of fentanyl.
AMY NEVILLE: It just doesn't make sense, you know. Sometimes it's -- I wake up and it's hard to understand that this is our life, but here we are.
COHEN (on camera): You lost him so young.
AMY NEVILLE: Yes.
COHEN (voice-over): Fentanyl, a highly toxic synthetic opioid -- a drug like no other -- is filling middle-schoolers nationwide.
ROBERT MURPHY, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, DEA ATLANTA DIVISION: They should be watching cartoons and eating bad cereal. They shouldn't be dropping dead from taking counterfeit pills.
COHEN (voice-over): Special agent Robert Murphy with the Drug Enforcement Administration says kids who think they're buying Xanax or Adderall or oxycontin from their drug dealer -- most of the time they're actually getting knockoffs. Fake pills that are laced with fentanyl. And just a few milligrams of fentanyl can be a fatal dose.
MURPHY: We're seeing 40 percent of the pills that are being analyzed now have a potentially fatal dose of fentanyl. COHEN (on camera): But back when we were kids if a middle-schooler experimented it didn't kill them.
MURPHY: We're dealing with a different threat -- a drug threat. Fentanyl has changed that game.
COHEN (voice-over): While still rare, drug deaths among children ages 10 to 14 more than tripled from 2019 to 2020, according to an analysis done for CNN by the CDC.
Just in the past month, 12-year-old Dalilah Mederos, in California, died of fentanyl poisoning. And fentanyl killed a 13-year-old boy in Connecticut. Police say they recovered 40 bags of fentanyl from his school and about 100 bags from his bedroom.
COHEN (on camera): What did Alex think he was taking?
AMY NEVILLE: Oxycodone.
AARON NEVILLE, ALEXANDER'S FATHER: He thought he was taking legitimate prescriptions.
AMY NEVILLE: The pill that Alexander took -- if it was a legitimate prescription pill he'd still be here. But instead, that pill had enough fentanyl in it to kill at least four people.
COHEN (voice-over): Children have grown up thinking prescription pills are safe.
AARON NEVILLE: It's whatever it is, you've got pills for it, so we all trust the pills. And especially, when they're young, it looks legit.
COHEN (on camera): You didn't know to say to Alex one pill could kill you?
AMY NEVILLE: Exactly. We had no idea one pill would kill him. We had no idea about fentanyl.
We talked to our kid. If talking to Alex is all it took, that kid would have lived forever. But we were not talking about the right thing because we didn't know about it.
[07:45:00]
COHEN (voice-over): And where did a 14-year-old -- a child -- get illegal drugs?
AMY NEVILLE: He told us he had connected with this dealer through Snapchat.
COHEN (voice-over): Buying drugs on social media is so common that the DEA has worked to figure out which emojis teens use to make the purchases.
MURPHY: If you put a cookie, a rocket, and a candy bar together it looks innocent. But what I just said is I just got a -- received a large shipment of highly-potent Xanax bars.
COHEN (on camera): So these two together mean Xanax --
MURPHY: Yes, and this --
COHEN (on camera): -- and this means --
MURPHY: Bring it to school -- yes.
COHEN (voice-over): Snapchat says it uses tools to detect drug- dealing activity and shut down dealers and is bringing every resource to bear to fight the fentanyl epidemic on its app and across the tech industry.
Before he died, Alexander had a bright future in front of him.
AMY NEVILLE: He loved history. He had visions of one day being a director at the Smithsonian.
COHEN (voice-over): Now, on a shelf in his bedroom, is an urn with his ashes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: Amy and Aaron Neville, the parents you just met -- they did everything right. They were on it. They recognized their son's drug use. They got him treatment. And still, this happened John because this is what they're up against.
Let's take a look at a real oxycontin pill and a fake one. The one on the left is real. The one on the right is fake. Of course, I mean, we can't tell the difference. A middle-schooler can't tell the difference.
And a lot of people have asked me why fentanyl? Why would drug dealers prefer fentanyl to oxycontin? It's because oxycontin is expensive.
The drug cartels love fentanyl. It's incredibly cheap. You get your customers addicted easily. And if some die, it doesn't matter to them -- John.
BERMAN: You just scared the hell out of me. My boys are 14. That was some report. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you so much.
COHEN: Thanks.
BERMAN: Two Winter Olympic medalists, one family. He won his silver in Beijing. She won her gold 50 years ago in Japan. We have the dynamic mother and son duo live, next.
KEILAR: And the fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces show just how dangerous parts of Eastern Ukraine really are. CNN's Clarissa Ward will take us inside of a shelled kindergarten caught in the middle.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:51:18]
KEILAR: In a Winter Olympics that seem to be rocked by scandal, here is a story that will warm your heart.
American skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle won the Olympic silver medal in men's super-giant slalom known as super-G almost a year to the day that he was in surgery for a broken neck. But if that wasn't enough, he also won -- and I'm getting chills while I say this -- this medal almost exactly 50 years after his mother Barbara Ann won gold in the slalom during the 1972 Sapporo games. And they are with us now -- this mother-son duo, Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Barbara Ann Cochran. It's so great to see you guys.
Ryan, congratulations to you. Tell us what it felt like to win this, but also to know that you were following in your mom's footsteps.
RYAN COCHRAN-SIEGLE, SILVER MEDAL WINNER, SUPER-G ALPINE SKIING: Yes. I mean, first, thanks for having us. I think this is exciting.
But it -- you know, it was a special day. Really, for me, it was just a normal ski race. I was focusing on my skiing and was really able to execute well. And I think that coming down to the finish line, I came down in second and ended up second was just a really special moment. I was able to call my mom -- get her on the phone right away and I think we were both just really emotional.
BARBARA ANN COCHRAN, MOTHER OF RYAN COCHRAN-SIEGLE, 1972 GOLD MEDALIST, WOMEN'S SLALOM SKIING: We were very emotional.
KEILAR: Tell me more. What was the call like, Barbara Ann?
COCHRAN: Well, first of all -- I mean people have asked me what did you say and I said I actually don't even remember. But I think I said how proud I was of him and just how excited. I was just so excited. I couldn't stop crying. I was still crying.
And it was just -- it was so much. I didn't expect that I'd be able to call him and Facetime with him right after the race, so that was impressed. I mean, that was just so exciting for me to be able to do that.
KEILAR: I mean, Ryan, that's a clear -- look, that's a clear difference of 50 years, right? The way in which you get to experience this amazing moment with your mother, right? That you could just do it right away.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: Yes, it was definitely special. I think my mom -- her dad was actually there at the Olympics, wasn't he?
COCHRAN: No, no, he wasn't.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: Oh, they weren't? OK.
COCHRAN: They weren't.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: OK.
COCHRAN: They were watching on T.V.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: OK, yes. So I guess she had to wait a while before she could talk to them but --
COCHRAN: Yes.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE. Yes. We had our press officer Megan Harrod -- she had her phone and so she was able to call them up immediately. And, I mean, I was still like fully in my suit and everything but just --
KEILAR: Yes.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: -- trying to celebrate and share this moment.
KEILAR: So --
COCHRAN: Yes, and I think I was still in my pajamas.
KEILAR: That's a good way to watch the Olympics, Barbara Ann.
So, what is different, Barbara Ann -- what is different in the feeling of winning -- you know, you won gold. You medaled. What is the difference in the feeling of being an Olympic medalist versus watching your son be an Olympic medalist?
COCHRAN: Well, I -- you know, it was like -- I mean, it was exciting for me to win gold back in -- 50 years ago, but that was 50 years ago. So, it was just -- it's been really exciting for me just to watch Ryan and watch him race and see how he's doing. And I just -- you know, I get the butterflies when he's going.
I get -- I get -- well, and plus, like I feel like I'm on the side of the course even when I'm not there. Like, I'm screaming into my laptop "Go, Ryan! Go, Ryan!" I hope he hears me. It's just --
KEILAR: Maybe you can imagine. Yes, you can sort of imagine what it's like to be on the slope, I imagine.
And the other thing Ryan that's just so amazing is your win is such a triumph considering where you were a year ago. Can you tell us about everything that you went through to get to this moment?
COCHRAN-SIEGEL: Yes. I mean, I think being an athlete for this long, I've been through various injuries and I kind of understand the process that there's so much out of your control and it's just about working hard the day you have and giving that your best.
But I will say a year ago -- I mean, I was actually probably standing right here or standing over there helping with the sugaring boil. So, it's funny to come back full circle -- everything that I've been through and be here once again.
KEILAR: Yes, recovering from a broken neck.
And you mentioned -- look, people may not realize that this is your family's ski resort behind you, as I understand. And you're also --
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: Yes.
KEILAR: -- a maple syrup expert. This is also part of the family legacy. Tell us about this.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: I'm a maple syrup trainee, I would say. My older cousins are the ones that -- they run -- they run the operation. But it's something fun that --
So we have a lot of just land with maple trees. And I think in 2010, my cousins got together and created their own sugaring business. And so, I've been able to kind of contribute a little bit when I'm home, whether it's in the sugar house boiling or up on the hill pulling taps. It's just fun.
I think our whole family loves each other and whether it's skiing or sugaring, we enjoy these moments that we get to share together.
KEILAR: OK, you may be a trainee but look, in 50 years, maybe you can be full-fledged, right? This is what you have to look forward to in 50 years.
Barbara Ann, this is really -- it's amazing to learn about your family. You have a number of Olympians in your family. And I wonder, you know --
COCHRAN: Yes.
KEILAR: -- what is it like to have that be part of the family legacy? But also, it seems like you also just maintain such a close familial connection even as you're in the middle of all this competition.
COCHRAN: Well, it's -- I mean, Cochran's is so much fun here because now it's like our kid's kids, so our grandchildren are starting to ski as well. And we've got some of the grandchildren that are ski racers, And I'm going OK, I know one of them that's really into the ski racing was asking his mom the other day -- like, how many more Olympics do you think Ryan's going to race. Because he was trying to figure out whether or not he would be able to race at the same time Ryan was racing.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: Yes.
COCHRAN: Yes. But it's really fun.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: He calculated it three more. So that would be pushing it, but I'll do my best.
KEILAR: All right. Is that maybe a little much?
OK, Ryan, before I let you go, the pressure is on to deliver maybe a third-generation medal here. What do we have perhaps -- I don't know, maybe to look forward to in the -- in the coming decades? No pressure.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: Yes. I would say not anytime soon. But yes -- I mean, I would love to be able to pass this -- pass this on. It's a special sport and I think we just have a strong love for skiing, and I think that's what it's all about.
KEILAR: Yes.
COCHRAN: Yes.
KEILAR: And for each other. And it's so wonderful to see Ryan and Barbara Ann. Congratulations, Ryan, and thank you so much for sharing this moment with us as a family. We really appreciate it.
COCHRAN-SIEGLE: Yes, thank you.
COCHRAN: Thank you so much.
BERMAN: You're pressuring Ryan.
KEILAR: What did you say?
BERMAN: How about laying the pressure on Ryan to procreate?
KEILAR: Look, I'm sort of -- I was doing it for his mother.
BERMAN: That's right.
KEILAR: She sort of hinted obliquely at it and I was like I'm just going to go there. But that's the truth. I mean, it also sounds like -- it just seems like they have a lot of fun, too. I know Vermont is near and dear to your heart.
BERMAN: I've skied at Cochran's. I think I -- I think the rope tow at Cochran's tore my mitten in like 1983 but I don't blame them. It wasn't their responsibility. No, I did. I remember I did a ski race once there and the Cochran kids were so much better than us because it turns out that they're Olympians and stuff.
KEILAR: It turns out their backyard is a ski slope.
BERMAN: Yes, it's amazing.
KEILAR: And they also just have amazing genes and probably the socialization of all the skiing.
That was amazing to talk to them. It's just -- it's so amazing to be a part of these moments and a good one of these games as well.
BERMAN: Amazing genes that you were pressuring him to pass on quickly, apparently.
KEILAR: Look, you know, he's got to spread the wealth. There you go.
NEW DAY continues right now.
BERMAN: Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. It is Friday, February 18th. I'm John Berman with Brianna Keilar. We do have breaking news. A brand-new assessment of Russian troop levels at the Ukrainian border even higher than they were before. U.S. officials now say somewhere between 169,000 and 190,000 Russian troops stand ready to invade Ukraine, adding this is the most significant military mobilization in Europe since the Second World War.
This, as President Biden said that Russia could invade within the next several days.
